The Perfect Charlie Girl

a closeup of Shelley

from a Charlie perfume ad, 1978

 

Shelley was The perfect Charlie Girl. Gorgeous, sexy and young, she embodied the ideals of the brand. But unlike the models that came before her, she made THE Charlie Girl glamorous, liberated and independent as well. She became an ideal women looked up to, an aspirational figure women wanted to become. Her involvement with the Charlie brand catapulted Shelley to Supermodel status; it made her one of the highest-paid models in the world. At the time when it was unheard of, she signed an exclusive contract with Revlon and was earning in the millions. Lauren Hutton, Iman, Karen Graham, Cheryl Tiegs, Cristina Ferrare and Margaux Hemingway were the other models who had reached that pinnacle in the modeling business during that era. They were the pioneers who landed those initial lucrative modeling contracts which have been aspired to by every model from then on.

 

Shelley in a Charlie perfume newspaper ad, 1978

Jackie in the '80s

Shelley with Tom Mason in a promo pic

for Jack and Mike, 1986

 

Shelley's third foray into series TV was Jack and Mike. The series was about a busy married yuppie couple who lived in Chicago and found it hard to find time to be with each other. Shelley played Jackie Shea, the star columnist at The Mirror, a fictional newspaper. Jackie's husband, Mike Brennan, a successful restaurateur who owned and managed three restaurants around Chicago, was played by Tom Mason whom Shelley co-starred with a year prior in the TV movie Kicks - their chemistry was evident in that telefilm. The series aired right after the hit Moonlighting and debuted to decent ratings. It also received decent reviews, with a few scathing writeups here and there. The series looked like it was in for a long run when it was suddenly canceled to the disappointment of fans.

 

Shelley in a TV Guide ad

for Jack and Mike from 1986

Recycling Wardrobes B

 

closeups of Shelley from a spread

for Co-ed magazine, 1971

 

Shelley was one of the busiest models in the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in countless ads, catalogs and magazine spreads. In September of 1971, she appeared in a spread for Co-ed magazine called "Recycling 4 Wardrobes Under $100." It featured four wardrobe sets that could be reused and rotated and recycled - just like aluminum, glass and paper (Eco-notes were even added to the spread for info in how to recycle the recyclables).

 

closeups of Shelley a spread

for Co-ed magazine, 1971

 

The wardrobe pieces in the spread were items that readers could wear and wear and wear over and over and over. Shelley wore a burgundy jeans suit by Levi Strauss which was made up of a pair of trim cut jeans and a Battle jacket. She wore a turtleneck top topped with an argyle tank, both from J.C. Penney. A belt by Dame and footwear by Viner finished her look. Shelley looked chic and ready to recycle.

 

Shelley in a spread for Co-ed magazine, 1971

1983 Interview B

screen captures of Shelley

being interviewed by Leta Powell Drake, 1983

 

Shelley's second TV series was Cutter to Houston back in 1983. To promote the show, she made rounds and did interviews where she talked about her latest endeavor. One of the interviews she did was with Leta Powell Drake, a television journalist who interviewed entertainment and sports stars for the television station KOLN/KGIN in Nebraska (she interviewed many stars in the 1980s). Shelley discussed her role in the TV series and how much research she did to prepare for it. She also talked a little about her modeling career and her mother.The interview is now on YouTube at:

 

Interview with Shelley Hack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ptr29lzPdQ

 

more screen captures of Shelley
being interviewed by Leta Powell Drake, 1983

Natural Wonder, 1973

a closeup of Shelley from an ad

for Natural Wonder by Revlon, 1973

 

In 1973, Shelley appeared in an ad campaign for Natural Wonder by Revlon. The ad featured Super Skin, a product line from Natural Wonder by Revlon. It was a double-action skin cleanser made with pure organic ingredients. It was a quick-acting facial cleanser that kept oily or dry skin fresh and in perfect balance throughout the day. It came in two variants, one for normal or dry skin and one for oily skin. And Shelley looked fresh and fab in the ads.

Shelley an ad for Natural Wonder by Revlon, 1973

A Superstar Overnight

a paparazzi pic of Shelley from 1979

 

Shelley joined the cast of Charlie's Angels during the fourth season of the show, taking over from Kate Jackson. Her agent told her she should audition, so she thought about it and went in. She went through a series of tests during her audition including a screen test, a personality test and one where she was asked to stand around alongside her would-be co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. She passed all of them and was personally congratulated by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg (the show's producers) at their office in the west end of the 20th Century-Fox Studios. Then overnight, she suddenly became a superstar. "I was totally unprepared for the press 'bonanza' that followed," she said in 2000. "I had press people crawling in my windows," she told E! in 2002.

 

a writeup about Shelley from 1979

Young Miss 1968 A

closeups of Shelley

from a spread for the Sears

Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog

 

Shelley  appeared on the pages of the Sears Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog. In the spread that featured outfits for the young ladies of the time, she modeled pieces that were perfect for daytime activities. She wore a full-fashioned knitted pullover top that could be switched about (with the zipper worn in front or at the back) over a pair of checkered culottes with a back zipper closing. It came with a matching belt. Matching flat footwear finished her look. Shelley looked fabulous.

 

Shelley in a spread for the Sears

Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog